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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24022549">Not As It Seems XXXIV</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliniel/pseuds/eliniel'>eliniel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Wondrous Tails 2020 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Caught in the ran, F/M, Fever, Illnesses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:48:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24022549</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliniel/pseuds/eliniel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>At Emet-Selch's insistence, the Warrior of Light goes outside to train before a storm.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Solus zos Galvus | Emet-Selch/Warrior of Light</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Wondrous Tails 2020 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not As It Seems XXXIV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Wondrous Tails: Getting caught in the rain/taking care of them while sick</p><p>This one is silly and Emet-Selch confirmed a big baby.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I sighed as I stared out the window, chin leaning in my palm. Dark clouds churned in the sky. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Another</span>
  </em>
  <span> storm was brewing. Even though it would likely not hit us for another hour, it still put a damper on my mood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to get out into my yard this week- to plant new seeds, tend to the ones that were already there, and possibly get some exercise with the training dummy I’d placed off to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But with the warm weather, also came rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of getting the fresh air I’d been craving, I was forced to run drills in my basement and watch my weeds grow from the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is something wrong, hero?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I pursed my lips and slumped back in my seat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” I answered. “I think I’m just a little stir crazy. This is the only reprieve we’ve had all week, and it’s going to start again soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hummed, stepping up behind me and leaning on the back of my chair so that he could peer outside as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It won’t start for a while yet.” I tilted my head up with a pout so that I could see him. “You still have time to go outside, if you’d like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if it rains on </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” He chuckled, looking down at me. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you get a little wet.” I clicked my tongue and sat up again. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the rain </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not,” I huffed, the exasperation clear in my tone. “It’s still quite cool outside and I don’t want to get sick.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a common misconception, Warrior of Light.” He came around the chair and leaned his backside on the table, crossing his arms over his chest. “You don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>magically</span>
  </em>
  <span> get sick just by getting caught in the rain on a cold day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I sighed through my nose, eyes wandering back to the window. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Gods</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it was as if the outside world was </span>
  <em>
    <span>calling</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you do your drills quickly, I highly doubt it’ll rain on you, anyway,” he added, sensing my hesitation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His words seemed to cement my resolve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” I agreed, finally, and pushed up from my seat. “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be nice to be able to train outside today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, we stepped out into my front yard and Emet-Selch closed the door behind him. I inhaled deeply as he put a hand on the small of my back to nudge me out of the way so he could step into the garden. The scents of the flowers all around reached me, as well as the smell of rain just before a storm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I smiled as I exhaled a sigh of relief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gods, did I love the spring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t dally, hero,” he instructed, nodding his head in the direction of the striking dummy. “Lest you be forced to finish your exercises in the basement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I hummed, turning towards the corner of my yard he’d just motioned to while he spun in the opposite direction, looking to take shelter on the bench under my budding cherry blossom trees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I began drill after drill, my movements practiced and precise after years and years of them, though I had recently switched my rotation upon learning new spells and </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> was what I needed to work on most.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>True to his word, nearly an hour later, I saw a bright flash of light out of the corner of my eye, accompanied by a rumble in the earth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s almost here, Warrior of Light,” the Ascian said. I nodded, though my focus was still trained on the dummy as sweat dripped down my face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few more rounds of movements later, another strike of lightning hit the earth. The thunder after was much louder. It was close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And all at once, without warning, the skies opened up, the downpour as heavy as the waterfall behind my house. A shiver coursed through me as my clothes were soaked through in mere seconds, the water seeping into the strands of my hair and running along my scalp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hero,” Emet-Selch called from the other side of the garden. I halted my movement and looked over my shoulder without dropping my stance. He was still perched on the bench, the leaves and blossoms of the tree sparing him the rain for a few moments. “I think it’s about time we head in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>My last words were lost to the storm as I launched into another set of drills, moving against the heaviness of my water-logged clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I paused again when my breathing became labored and my arms ached from holding my rapier up. Finally, I dropped my stance and wiped the rain out of my eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I turned to head back in, I found the Ascian standing behind me with his arms crossed over his chest, his hair dripping and matted to the sides of his face, and a sour look on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finished?” he bit out. I could barely hear him over the storm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I raised a brow at his reaction, but nodded, then sheathed my weapon and jogged back to the front door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>So we get a little wet</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” I repeated back to him when we both stood in the entryway of my house, puddles quickly forming under us. I cringed as my feet </span>
  <em>
    <span>squelched</span>
  </em>
  <span> in my shoes and stepped out of them, my socks inside soaked through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I sat down on the floor with a groan and peeled them off of my feet, then peered up at Emet-Selch, who had taken his coat off and was busying himself by unbuttoning his long tunic, expression still dour. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could have come inside,” I told him. “You didn’t have to wait for me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clicked his tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re exceedingly reckless the majority of the time, I’ll have you know.” He tore the shirt off of his body and kicked off his boots, then put his hands on his hips. “If I didn’t stay to make sure you didn’t push yourself too far, would you have stopped?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I narrowed my eyes at him, pursing my lips. He huffed a humorless laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t think so.” He shook his head, raising one hand to slick back his dripping hair. “The rain itself may not have made you sick, Warrior of Light, but mix that with overexertion and you would be down for the count.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without another word, he opened a portal and vanished. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And when I heard footsteps upstairs, I realized he didn’t want me to follow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A couple of days later, I woke up to a sneeze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>My eyes shot open and I sat up, looking down at the Ascian, who was lowering his hand from his face. He cracked opened his eyes, peering up at me for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are-are you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sneezed again, back arching from the force, cutting off my sentence as I jumped in surprise, leaning away from him. He relaxed back onto the mattress with wide eyes. We stared at each other in silence for a long moment before I blinked my shock away and reached a hand to feel his forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was warmer than normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think...you have a fever,” I concluded, pulling my hand back and laying it in my lap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me?” he rasped, his voice weak, but his tone incredulous. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Me?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I huffed a laugh and nodded my head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who else would I be talking to?” He clicked his tongue, his hand flying back to his mouth as he coughed into his palm. He groaned, jerking over onto his side, his back facing me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> get sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You told me yourself that you could,” I shot back, unable to keep the amusement from my voice. He forced the blanket up to his chin. “Mortal vessel and all that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>My</span>
  </em>
  <span> fault?” I chuckled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’d have just gone inside when I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> said you don’t just magically get sick by getting caught in the rain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t,” he reiterated. “The virus is already inside of you. The weather merely exacerbates-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha!” I nearly shouted, and he paused. “So you were bound to get sick, anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fumed silently for a few seconds before jerking the blanket off of my lap and curling up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just-” He huffed a sigh. “Just leave me be.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I nearly snorted at his actions, but turned to get out of bed, slipping into my slippers that sat on the floor next to me. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be downstairs if you need anything,” I told him. He hummed in dismissal and I left the room to go make breakfast and to find some sort of potion to help him feel better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I tossed a pan onto the stove and clicked it on, then leaned onto the counter and started flipping through a cookbook as I waited for it to heat up. I tapped my fingernail against my lip as I passed dish after dish, though none of them struck me as good to eat while being sick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too spicy, to acidic. Rough on the stomach...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I halted, eyes scanning a page mid-turn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soup. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chicken, noodles, broth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I tilted my head in thought. Easy enough, I supposed, paired with some bread and butter. And all ingredients I already possessed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I reached under the stove and grabbed a pot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I was finished making both of our meals, I set the plate, bowl, and elixir bottle on a wooden tray and headed back upstairs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was lying on his back when I entered the bedroom, brow furrowed as he breathed shaking breaths, his whole body trembling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I went around to his side of the bed and sat next to him. He slowly opened his eyes when he felt the mattress dip. I examined the pallor of his face, pale and...somewhat green. I offered him a sad smile as I stroked the knuckles of my hand along his cheek, his face radiating heat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I brought you something to eat,” I explained, looking down to the tray sitting on my lap. “And some medicine.” He released a deep sigh as his eyes followed mine, likely trying to decide if it was worth his time to remain stubborn or simply accept what I’d offered. After a moment, he nodded his head and began moving to sit up. I reached behind him with one hand, setting the pillows against the headboard before he leaned back against them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I uncorked the bottle of the potion I’d brought and handed it to him first. He downed it quickly, cringing at the sour taste. I stifled my laugh at the look on his face and took it from him again, setting the bowl in his hand instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>We ate in near silence, but when he was finished he held the dishware back out to me. I set the bowl on the tray as he began to lie back down, and when he had made himself comfortable again, leaned over him as he shivered under the covers, reaching to brush the white strands of hair out of his face. One of his arms slithered out from the blanket, catching my arm, wrapping my fingers around my wrist and tugging me down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tray still sitting in my lap slid off of my legs as he pulled me back into bed with him. It clattered to the floor, the sound of breaking plates filling the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I gaped down at the mess, leftover food and juice mixed with shards of glass and ceramic on the rug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What-,” I tried, but he forcefully tugged on my arm again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it,” he insisted as I fell onto the mattress next to him. “They were ugly, anyway.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lifted the blanket as an invitation and I exhaled a sharp, annoyed breath through my nose, crossing my arms over my chest in defiance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, they were.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I didn’t join him, he clicked his tongue. To the best of his ability, he threw the blanket over me. I pursed my lips as he scooted closer to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it makes you feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> better, I will make you a </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span> set when I am well again.” He sighed a shaky breath. “Now, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please,</span>
  </em>
  <span> hero. I’m cold.” I examined his face for a long moment, chewing on the inside of my mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, I relented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” I said, my voice short. I uncrossed my arms and opened them to him. “But if you pass your illness to me, there will be all seven hells to pay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He huffed a laugh as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Noted.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>My arms hooked under his as he buried his face into the crook of my neck. His body was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> hot, though he shivered violently against me. I began rubbing soothing circles into his back with my thumbs as his breaths came out in warm puffs against my skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, he began to relax, his shaking slowly coming to a stop as he let darkness claim him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I sighed, my arms tightening around him as his loosened around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he was fast asleep again, I pressed a slow kiss to his forehead and went to carefully move out of bed so that I didn’t wake him. After avoiding the mess still on the floor, I silently made my way back downstairs to find something I could fix for dinner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next morning, he seemed well enough for me to head out. Still a little weak, but out of bed and moving around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And when I returned in the evening, true to his word, there was a beautiful new set of dishware waiting for me on the counter of the island.</span>
</p>
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